Cosmetic compositions of various kinds are widely used by consumers. Skin care cosmetics such as moisturizing lotions or creams are applied to obtain benefits of anti-aging, skin lightening and moisturizing, while make-up cosmetic products are applied to obtain desired optics and color benefits.
There is increasing interest in cosmetic compositions which provide skin care benefits such as moisturization but which at the same time are capable of altering skin appearance. Unlike make-up compositions, however, the desire from skin care compositions is to enhance existing skin tones or at least to provide effects that are not perceived as unnatural. To this end colourants, such as pigments or dyes, are sometimes added to cosmetic compositions.
Pigment particles have the disadvantage that their presence can lead to an undesired poor tactile sensory property. Small molecule dyes have the disadvantage of being permeable to skin and so their use is highly regulated to avoid unwanted toxicity or adverse reactions. Furthermore both pigments and dyes when used in the low quantities required to give colouring without unnatural skin tone can be easily washed and/or rubbed from the skin after application resulting in only short-lived effects.
Thus the present inventors have recognized a need to provide cosmetic compositions capable of providing skin care benefits, but which do not have one or more of the drawbacks mentioned above.